Full Text: Integrated Reform Plan for Promoting Ecological Progress

III. Establishing a System for the Development and Protection of Territorial Space

10. Improving the functional zoning system

National- and provincial-level planning of functional zones will be coordinated. Regional policies which are based on the functional zones will be improved. On the basis of the different functions- urban areas, primary production areas for agricultural products, or key ecosystem service areas - adjustments and improvements to policies regarding finance, industry, investment, population flow, land to be used for construction, resource development, and environmental protection will be stepped up.

11. Improving the regulatory system for the use of territorial space

The top-down land-use indices control system will be simplified and the method of allocating indices based on administrative district and baselines for land use will be adjusted. Development intensity indices will be broken down and assigned to the county-level administrative districts as binding quotas to control the total amount of land used for construction purposes. Land use regulation will be extended to all natural ecological spaces, ecological redlines will be defined and strictly observed, and arbitrary changes to land use will be strictly prohibited. Efforts will be made to protect against ecological redlines being crossed by unreasonable development and construction activities. The monitoring system for all territorial space will be improved and a longitudinal approach will be used to monitor changes within China's territorial space.

12. Establishing a national park system

The protection of important ecosystems will be strengthened to ensure their sustainable use. The system of departments independently setting up their own nature reserves, historical and scenic sites, cultural and natural heritage sites, geological parks, and forest parks will be reformed. These protected areas will be reorganized by function and the scope of national parks will be determined as appropriate. National parks will be under more stringent protection: with the exception of improvements to the facilities used by local people in their everyday lives and work and nature-based research, education, and tourism which do not harm ecosystems, other types of development and construction will be prohibited so as to protect the authenticity and integrity of the natural ecological environment and natural and cultural heritage. Guidance on national park trials will be strengthened, and on the basis of these trials, research will be carried out into designing an overall plan for establishing a national park system. A permanent mechanism will be created for the protection of rare and endangered species of wild plants and animals.

13. Improving the system for regulating natural resources

Duties and responsibilities related to regulation of use, which are currently spread among different departments, will be gradually concentrated within a single department. This department will then perform all use-related regulatory duties and responsibilities for all territorial spaces.